Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, James Johnson all are at their best with the ball in their hands. The ball rarely leaves the hands of Hassan Whiteside once he gets it.

Perhaps that is why Rodney McGruder not only made sense in the Miami Heat's opening lineup of the preseason, but might also make sense when the games count for real.

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"I'm out there to do whatever needs to be done to help my team to win," McGruder said as the Heat shifted their attention from Sunday's exhibition victory over the Atlanta Hawks at AmericanAirlines Arena to Thursday's road exhibition against the Brooklyn Nets. "So if I come off and there's something for me, I'm going to be ready to shoot. Or if it's a pick-and-roll for me, I'm ready in that situation, as well."

Otherwise, you likely will find McGruder locked and loaded while tucked away safely in the corner, where he attempted a league-high 55 percent of his 3-pointers last season.

For years, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has stressed balance in his lineups, a complementary piece often part of the opening equation, players such as Luke Babbitt, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem and perhaps, again, McGruder.

"We see somebody that will not be denied," Spoelstra said. "He's proven himself with us. As we've gotten to know him, from him helping us win a [development-league] championship in Sioux Falls, but also breaking into a rotation and starting for us, so many games last year, he's a winner. And he's so committed, every single day, consistently working diligently to improve.

"You see that methodical, incremental improvement where he's a much different player. If you don't watch him for three months, he'll be a much different player, because he'll continue to improve."

McGruder played in starting lineups with Johnson and with Waiters last season, but not with the two together. That could leave even fewer scraps than last season.

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So be it, McGruder said.

"We've played together in units before, so it's fun," he said. "It's fun being out there.

"I want to bring the energy for that group and just inspire those guys and encourage them and push them so we can get out to a fast start."

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Feeling good

Josh Richardson said having a healthy roster has created an optimistic vibe during the preseason. Richardson missed all of last year's training camp as well as the first three games of the regular season due to a sprained right MCL.

"Everyone being healthy and being healthy though training camp kind of defined everyone's roles early," he said.

In addition to Richardson, guard Wayne Ellington missed the start of last season with a bruised right thigh and forward Josh McRoberts with a foot injury, with Justise Winslow dealing with a balky left wrist at the start of 2016-17.